Hyderabad: Villagers worried over spike in dog bite cases

Hyderabad: The Fever Hospital gets dog bite cases on a daily basis not just from the core of the city but also from nearby towns. In the last few days, however, the hospital is steadily receiving a number of cases from Malkajgiri mandal. About 20 km from Keesara, people of Usharpally village are living in perpetual fear as dogs have run amok.

N Narayan Reddy who is presently undergoing treatment at the Fever Hospital says, "Close to a dozen people have suffered from dog bites in the last two weeks. People are scared to go to the fields and the local market."

Locals have several theories about the sudden spurt in the number of dogs as well as dog bite cases. Ramesh K, a tailor of Muduchintalapally says, "Last year, a few people from the city brought dogs in cars and left them here. There is every possibility that this year too many dogs might have been brought left. These dogs find it difficult to find food and water."

Even in the core area of the city, dog bite cases have been increasing. "Blue Cross that used to rescue dogs is now concentrating on training and stopped rescue operations since 2017. The GHMC dog catching squad is found wanting on several fronts. They catch dogs but have no record of how many have been sterilised. We get complaints from people stating the squads never react on time," says Deepa Rao, an animal activist.

She adds, "There is misconception that dog bite cases increase in summer. It happens all the time for several reasons. Never go near a dog when it is eating and near its puppies. There is a lack of awareness among people. A number of dog bite cases could be avoided with awareness."

Dattatreya Joshi of People for Animals says, "On an average we get 50-60 calls every day and deal with 60% of the complaints. We have our own limitations." Animal rights activists say there are veterinary hospitals in Bhoiguda, Bowenpally, Vijaynagar Colony, Sitarambagh and Rajendranagar, but it is not enough.